Senbazuru
by moonlight.gabriel
Summary: Momo wants Toshiro's love so she decides to complete senbazuru to wish for it. However, would she be truly happy with wished love? Hitsuhina - 1st Fanfic - Complete
1. Chapter 1: Take Flight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 1 - Take Flight**

_We look up at the stars_

_And pray that our wings won't be clipped_

_As we journey into the heavens_

_

* * *

_

"Okay, now fold that side, then that side."

"Like this?"

"Not quite. Here, like this. Now turn it over and repeat the same folds."

Momo Hinamori, fukutaichou of the 5th division, was sitting quite comfortably on a cushion next to Rukia Kuchiki. Beside them was a low table littered with a mountain of colourful paper (some of which were crumpled and used to litter the floor as well), several spools of thread and a few needles lying precariously about.

"Now carefully pull it and…there! Done!"

Resting in the palm of Momo's hand was a slightly wrinkled, but all in all recognisable paper crane. Her eyes lit up in delight. "Thank you for teaching me Rukia-san."

Rukia smiled in response. "Do you want to hear something interesting about these paper cranes?"

"Sure."

"In the world of the living there's an ancient Japanese legend that says if one completes 'senbazuru'or the folding of a thousand paper cranes, they will have a single wish granted to them."

"Really? Oh, so is that why you've started?"

Momo spotted five chains of paper cranes lying on the ground next to the table. She reached over and carefully picked one up, cradling it in the palm of her hands so she would not damage them in any way. The petite cranes in this chain contained all the colours of the rainbow but each were marked with the same floral pattern. Momo smiled; she had always preferred small over large. When things were small it made them that much cuter. Of course there were always exceptions -- one being that Shiro-chan had a growth spurt (who would have thought after all those years?!) and was now just a smidge taller than her.

----------

_Matsumoto lowered her hand so half of it was sitting on her taichou's head and the other half…well it WAS meant to be sitting on Momo's head, but the thing was it wasn't. A wide grin graced her face and she bent over a little to ruffle the child prodigy's snowy hair. She, after all, still towered over him._

"_You finally did it taichou! You are now taller than your precious Momo-chan! Congrats! Although it's only about this much." _

_She raised her hand up to their face level and put her thumb and index finger all but touching. "Well now that all of our curiosities are settled I'm going to celebrate taichou's growth with some good old sake! See ya!"_

_With that Matsumoto rushed out the door before Toshiro could yell at her. Although a little flushed from his fukutaichou's bluntly put "precious Momo-chan", nonetheless he was overall ecstatic at finally, FINALLY surpassing Momo in height. He moved his head a fraction and smirked down (that's right, DOWN) at her. Momo gave him a little glare._

"_Shiro-chan you're not THAT much taller than me you know!"_

"_But I am still taller than you. I think I'm going to enjoy this."_

"_Mou! Just you wait Shiro-chan! Soon it'll be back to ME looking down on YOU!"_

----------

"Yeah. There're a hundred in each chain," replied Rukia

"Wow, so you're already halfway there. What are you wishing for?"

"It's a secret. But I'll tell you when it comes true. For now do you wanna hear something else about senbazuru?"

"Sure."

"I think you'll like this bit. If your wish involves another person- "

Rukia paused and used her elbow to gently nudge Momo a couple of times. Her face began to turn red and she was trying hard not to let a look of fluster show. "W-what?!"

Rukia gave her a knowing smile and continued.

"Then fold the last 8 cranes out of something that you feel is connected to that particular person. In doing so it will bring that person great happiness and luck, so it says."

"So what kind of something?" Momo tried to ask in a casual tone.

Unfortunately Rukia saw right through that one.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe a picture of them, a bit of fabric from their clothing, or maybe the wrapping paper from the present Hitsugaya-taichou gave you this year?"

Momo's face turned completely red and she started to nervously play around with her fingers. "Rukia I, um…I don't…I mean Hitsugaya-kun couldn't…WE'RE- "

Whoops, that had come out a little TOO loud.

" -we're just friends, that's all," she lamely mumbled.

"Aww, anyone with eyes can see that you to love each other…well except for you two of course."

THUD!

Right at that moment something (or someone) fell to the ground right outside the window. Both Rukia and Momo got up to investigate only to see Renji sitting up, rubbing his head and looking around dazed. Rukia slapped her hand against her head and let out an irritated sigh before sticking her head out the window.

"Fall off the roof again? I told you not to sleep in high places Renji," she said in a bossy voice. "Remember that time you fell off the tree right onto that gravestone?!…Hmm, that was pretty funny actually."

"Shut it Rukia."

Renji tried to pull himself up and by tried I mean he dragged himself up, fully relying on the railing to keep him from falling over, and ended up doing just that as soon as he let go.

Rukia let out another sigh. "Might as well go help him before he does anything stupid-"

"I heard that!"

"Amazing," she muttered sarcastically. "Hinamori-san, you can help yourself to anything on the table if you want, just please don't take the Chappy printed paper. I'm really attached to those."

With that said she rushed out of the room.

* * *

Momo walked down the halls of the Seireitei carrying a spool of thread, a needle and a stack of paper. She could still faintly hear Rukia and Renji arguing. As soon as Renji was a lot more coherent and was able to stand on his feet, a shouting match took place. _("You know, I bet if you slept on the ground you'd find some way to fall!" "Stupid! You can't fall off the damn ground!" "Exactly!")_

During the entire walk from the 13th division to the 5th division, all that was on Momo's mind was the senbazuru legend and the tenth division taichou.

_I wonder how long it will take before I can wish that Shiro-chan will love me? I have no duties today. I think I can finish about fifty before five…Too bad I'm not better at folding them yet._

She went into her room and with her goal in mind, began to fold with barely contained enthusiasm and excitement over the prospect of her wish.

"Last one."

She threaded her fiftieth crane through and held the chain in front of her. The ones down the bottom looked very much like her first one; all wrinkly and worn looking. But as her eyes travelled up she could see them gradually getting better. The ones at the very top were perfect! It was half and hour before five. Even with her slow pace she still managed to complete her goal at the expense of somewhat sore fingers. She placed the chain in one hand, making sure the needle was safely tucked away. After all, she still had more cranes to thread on before she could tie it off. Momo already decided to make eight chains of 124 cranes and a single chain consisting of the last eight ones; the ones to be folded out of something that reminded her of Shiro-chan.

She gently closed the door to her room and began making her way towards the 10th division. When Momo reached the doors of Toshiro's office, she went in without knocking and cheerfully walked up to his desk. As usual he was busy with paperwork and his fukutaichou Matsumoto was no where in sight.

"Hitsugaya-"

"Taichou," he said without looking up.

Momo pouted.

"How do you even know I wasn't going to say 'Hitsugaya-taichou' hmm?"

Toshiro looked up and gave her an 'oh please' look before continuing on with his paperwork.

"Fine Shiro-chan. I'll leave," Momo said with false sulkiness. And it worked.

Toshiro sighed and put his brush down. "Jeeze, what is it Bed Wetter Momo? And it's Hitsugaya-taichou." He reached for his cup of green tea.

With a huge grin she dangled her chain right in his face. "Look Shiro-chan! If I make a thousand of these my wish will come true!"

"You believe in that stuff Hinamori?"

"It sounds magical, like if I do this then my wish really will come true."

"Okay then what is it?"

"I can't tell you or else it won't come true."

"You probably wouldn't even be able to fold a thousand anyway."

"I will too be able to fold a thousand! Don't be so mean Shiro-chan!"

"Don't call me that Bed Wetter Momo."

"Then don't call me THAT Shiro-chan!"

"I'm of a higher ranking."

"I'm older!"

"I'm TALLER!"

Momo glared at him in annoyance. She couldn't think of anything else to say. Once upon a time ago she could've said that exact same thing. Damn those growth spurts. Toshiro folded his arms behind his head in a nonchalant way. "I win."

At that moment the doors burst open and an amazingly tipsy Matsumoto teetered in. "Never fear! Matsumoto is here!"

Though being tipsy doesn't exempt her from saying down right weird and stupid things.

Toshiro perked up an eyebrow. "What happened? You're not a walking bottle of sake for once." he asked dryly.

"Oh taiiiiichoooooou! It's horrible!"

She ran over and hugged his head, nearly suffocating him in the process. "The bar ran out of sake! I only drank half a bottle! Damn you Kira and Renji for drinking so much! Go steal the chicken!"

Toshiro detached Matsumoto's arms away from him and pushed her away, deciding against asking what in hell she was talking about. It would probably lead him into a headache.

"You're so cold taichou!" she whined.

She looked over and noticed Momo for the first time. "Ah Momo-chan! How are you, how are you?! Oh, what's this?"

She lifted up Momo's hand so she could take a close look at the cranes. "Paper cranes? Oh yeah! I think Rukia-chan told me about these. What was it, what was it? A wish…another person or something…AHA!"

A sly grin appeared on Matsumoto's face; a grin that told Momo trouble was coming.

"I bet you're gonna wish-"

_That you won't say it?! _

"-that taichou's-"

_Please, please, please don't get it right!!_

"-gonna fall in lo-"

_Ah damn you Rangiku-san…_


	2. Chapter 2: Memories In the Wind

Ah, I'm not sure how to reply to reviews and stuff (I mean when you reply does it show up on the review page?), so I'll just do it here. Might be easier that way too :)

Thank you to everybody who reviewed. There's just this really warm feeling you get when you find out that somebody out there likes your work. It makes me want to write even more! I guess it's true when they say reviews are like the lifeblood of fanfiction. I'll do my best to not dissapoint you!

Thank you to everybody who took the time to read this story too.

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2 - Memories in the Wind 

_I wish I could look into your eyes_

_And see your soul_

* * *

Momo lunged out and clamped her hand over Matsumoto's troublesome mouth. How on earth did she hit the nail right on the head?!

"Rangiku-san!"

She only laughed, the sound muffled by the small hand still covering her mouth just in case she said anything else unnecessary. Toshiro was eying the two fukutaichous suspiciously.

"Where am I going to fall?"

"N-no where Hitsugaya-kun. I wouldn't wish for anything like that."

Matsumoto removed Momo's hand and gave Toshiro a brushing wave. "Don't worry Momo-chan. He's too dense to figure it out, although I was right wasn't I?!"

The light blush that had risen to Momo's cheeks gave her the answer she needed. With a cheery wave she headed out the door, stumbling over a nonexistent bump and saying something about going to complain to the bartender. Momo slowly turned back around to face Toshiro and let out a relieved sigh when she saw him immersed in his paperwork again, grumbling a little at Matsumoto's sudden arrival and leave. It was at times like these that Momo was grateful Toshiro was just a little dense in the romance area, though most of the time it's just a real letdown.

Regaining the excitement she had before, Momo put her hands on the table and leaned towards Toshiro. "Ne, Shiro-chan, why don't you take a break?"

"Because I have a lot of paperwork to finish baka."

Momo puffed out her cheeks in annoyance but remained persistent. "Then how about tomorrow? You can't have that much work tomorrow. We can sit under that big tree beyond your balcony and have watermelon, just like back then when we were living in Rukongai."

After a moment's pause he relented. "Fine, fine." He even offered her a small smile.

Heaven knew how he needed a break and he could never really say no to Momo. And besides, which would he rather be doing? Being stuck inside for god knows how long doing paper work, or spending the day with his two loves, Momo and watermelon? There was no question about it.

Momo was jumping around, arms moving around energetically. "Yay! Thanks Shiro-chan! Okay, I'll stop bothering you now and leave."

Toshiro's heart skipped a beat when she said "leave". He didn't want her to leave him, not now, not ever. But after years of denying certain feelings towards his childhood friend, he convinced himself that Momo could never feel the same way.

"See ya Bed Wetter Momo."

* * *

The next day, waking up at the crack of dawn, Momo lazily dragged herself towards the bathroom. The initial blast of cold water shocked her awake and the warm water that followed helped soothe her body and mind. She promptly got dressed, grabbed a bag containing a large, ripe watermelon and knife and headed out towards the 10th division. Her damp hair was left down so it would be allowed to air dry. No other shinigamis were out yet unless of course you count Kyoraku-taichou passed out in front of the 8th division building, sake bottle in hand.

_I wonder if this is too early…But I want to see Shiro-chan. I'm so happy we get to spend the day together!_

Momo opened the doors of 10th division, wincing when they made a loud creak. Tiptoeing through the halls grateful that the floorboards did not creak as well, she made her way towards Toshiro's sleeping chambers. A look behind her confirmed that no one was around and a peek through the door confirmed one asleep and extremely adorable Toshiro. She quickly slid in, closed the door and set her bag down. After a moment's hesitation she walked towards his sleeping form. He was sleeping slightly curled on his side, an arm propping his head up. His face was relaxed, freed from its constant scowl. There was even a very faint smile.

Momo put a finger on her lips and bit the inside of her mouth nervously. Should she just kiss him while he's asleep? What if he woke up? The temptation was almost uncontrollable though. It was driving her insane just looking at him!

_Mou, Shiro-chan! Why are you doing this to me?!_

As soon as enough courage flowed into Momo that she began to lean forward, Toshiro opened his eyes. Brown eyes connected with emerald ones and it took a moment for realisation to hit both parties.

"Hinamori!!"

Toshiro shot up into a sitting position as if he had just been electrocuted. Momo's hands flew up to her mouth, quieting the shrill "Eep!" that came out of sheer surprise and the prospect of almost getting caught. She quickly jumped back and used the door to support her somewhat.

"H-hey! What are you doing here Hinamori?! And at this time?!" Toshiro stammered out, a light pink blush evident on his face.

Momo lowered her hand enough so her quiet voice could be heard more clearly.

"S-sorry Hitsugaya-kun." She bowed her head in an apologetic manner. "Um…" Words seemed to be struggling to come out of her mouth. After several moments of nervous fidgeting she said in a barely audible voice, "I just…wanted to see you…that's all."

Toshiro's heart fluttered as he heard her last sentence and he fought hard from letting his face turn red. His eyes were fixated on her as he drifted on in his thoughts.

_She wanted to see me? _

**_"Yes she wanted to see you little boy,"_** replied Hyorinmaru, even though the question wasn't directed at him.

_"Be quiet Hyorinmaru."_

**_"Would you kindly direct your eyes away from Hinamori little boy? You're gawking at her like an idiot."_**

_"I am not gawking at her! And stop calling me little dammit! I've grown!"_

Toshiro could almost see the condescending look on the ice dragon's face. **_"Only when you beat fifty feet little boy."_**

Momo looked up when there was a lack of words and saw Toshiro staring at her.

"Hitsugaya-kun? Are you okay? You're really quiet."

"Yeah. Yeah, just fine," he said, snapping back into reality. "Give me a minute to get ready. You can stay in here if you want." He mumbled the last bit and stood up.

Momo noticed that he was wearing the yukata she had given him last year for his birthday. It was a beautiful medium blue colour with white specks resembling snow printed sporadically across the last few inches of the fabric. The white sash around his waist was emblazoned with an image of a dragon.

"Hey! You're wearing the yukata I gave you!"

Toshiro's face went up another level in redness. "Y-yeah? So what?!" he spluttered before regaining his composure. He turned around to gather his shinigami uniform and captain's haori. "It was the first thing I saw in the closet," he said evasively.

Momo only giggled and proceeded to plop down on his bed. She bounced up and down as Toshiro left for the bathroom. When she heard the click of the door lock, she allowed her body to fall and her head landed on his soft pillow. She buried her face in it; a light fragrance of watermelon teased her nose.

"Mmm, it has Shiro-chan's scent." She let out and affectionate giggle. "He really does love watermelon."

After a couple of minutes of contently taking in the delightful smell, she pulled his thin quilt of goose down over her head. Toshiro never did like to be too warm or heaven forbid, hot. With nowhere to escape to, the peachy fragrance from Momo's shampoo and Toshiro's scent of watermelons mingled in the confined space occupied by the young girl. She had always loved the scent of each individually but when they were together…wow. It was as if magic decided it to be so.

Momo was so engrossed in the aromatic space that she failed to hear Toshiro come into his room. When she felt the quilt being tugged off, she instinctively reached out and pulled them back over her head, curling her body more so in the comfort of the warmth. Toshiro poked her in the sides; he knew she was ticklish there. Satisfied when he heard her muffled squeal, he tried once again to remove the quilt.

"C'mon Hinamori. If I have to get out of MY bed this early then so do you," he said, emphasising the fact that it was indeed his bed.

Momo poked her head out and grinned sheepishly at him. She used a moment to fix her hair, not in it's usual bun, but down in two pigtails. She then got up and headed towards the bag containing the watermelon but found that Toshiro beat her to it. They walked out onto the balcony and shunpo-ed to reach the tree that was in view.

It was the transition between summer and autumn so it wasn't too hot. In fact, they were blessed with a warm day and a crisp breeze. A river flowed near the tree, the water clearest of clear, sparkling as the sunlight reflected off it. Instead of sitting under the tree, Momo thought it would be more fun if they sat on the riverbank. Toshiro only shrugged and said, "Your choice." so they spent an enjoyable morning with their feets dipped in the cool water, partaking in watermelon and an impromptu seed-spitting contest, which Toshiro won.

"Ah, Shiro-chan! You didn't have to spit that many seeds at me!" Momo said indignantly. She used the sleeve of her shinigami uniform to wipe off the seeds that stuck to her face.

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou," he said around a mouthful of watermelon. After swallowing the juicy pink flesh and spitting the remaining seeds in her general direction he added, "And look how many seed you got in my hair! At least you can't see the seeds in your hair." He reached for another piece.

"Okay, I'll help you get them out!"

Toshiro stuck his nose up in the air and turned his head away from her. "I don't need any help from a bed wetter," he sniffily said.

Unfortunately for Toshiro because of his slightly haughty pose, his eyes were closed. And unfortunately because his eyes were closed, he didn't see Momo get up and wade into the river. And of course when he did noticed, it was too late.

SPLASH!

Momo sent a large splash of water to Toshiro that hit him square on the head. Well at least she kept her promise. Now this time Momo was the unfortunate one. Because she was laughing so hard that she couldn't concentrate on anything else but her ribs, she didn't notice the death glare Toshiro was sending her. And because she didn't notice his face, she also failed to notice that the glare was soon replaced with a playful smirk. And of course when she did notice, it was too late.

"Agglh-!"

Toshiro had tackled her, causing her fly towards a more deeper part of the river and become submerged in the water without any warning…well, any warning that she knew of. Her arms flailed about as she tried to resurface. Her head came up and she took in large lungfulls of air. When her breathing returned to normal she shot a glare at a smug Toshiro, who was standing in knee deep water with his arms folded across his chest.

"Shiro-chan! That was mean!"

"That's what you get Bed Wetter Momo!"

_Oh, that's what I get huh? Eh, well maybe I did deserve it. But if I'm this wet, he will be too!_

With that resolve in mind, Momo swam until her feet could touch the sandy bottom of the river. Using shunpo, which is quite amazing seeing as her shinigami uniform was drenched and therefore quite heavy, she quickly moved behind Toshiro ready to push him in. Ah, but he isn't a captain for nothing you know. Anticipating Momo's move he turned around and surprised her by grabbing her arms and throwing her back in the water. He didn't expect Momo to hang onto the material of his sleeve though, so he tumbled into the water after her.

When both resurfaced, Momo stuck her tongue out at Toshiro while he gave her an annoyed look. Then at the same time, they both started to splash each other. Their voices and laughter rang loudly through the air. It was noon before they decided to stop and drag their wet bodies back to land.

Momo began to wring out her uniform. "Ne, we're soaking wet Shiro-chan!" she exclaimed as a large puddle of water began to form around her feet.

"Thanks for stating the obvious Hinamori." He took off his captain's haori and got rid of the water as best he could before slinging it over a low branch so it could be sun dried. He growled in annoyance when he stared down at his dripping shinigami uniform. "Wait here Hinamori. I'll get us some dry clothes."

With that he sped away and with his speed, returned a minute later fully clothed and holding a bundle for Hinamori. She took it with thanks and went behind the tree to change. She noticed that he'd gotten the yukata he had given to her for her birthday earlier this year. Heh, the copycat. It was a rose coloured yukata decorated with peach blossoms. The obi was white and decorated with those cute peaches you see in anime. When she had received this, she noticed that it matched with the yukata she gave him and wondered if it was a coincidence. Then again, him getting this for her now, was this a coincidence too? Well, this is the first thing you see in her closet…

With their uniforms hanging out to dry, they sat on the soft grass, leaning on the trunk of the tree with their backs towards the river so they would not be tempted to soak each other again.

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Hmm?"

Once again, his mouth was filled with watermelon. It was pretty big after all; they had only finished half of it before their water fight (with Toshiro eating most of it). Momo took a small bite into her piece before continuing.

"Do you remember that promise we made a long time ago?"

"Hmph, you mean the one where you would call me by my name when I went to the Shinigami Academy?"

"No not that one. That wasn't even a promise anyway. Hmm, but how does Shiro-taichou sound?"

Momo tried not to laugh when Toshiro choked on his watermelon. He wiped his mouth and glared at her.

"Baka! That's even worse than Shiro-chan! Don't you start calling me that!"

"Don't worry Shiro-chan-"

"Hitsugaya-taichou-"

"-I won't. Anyway the promise I was talking about…remember? It was during the time the sakura blossoms fell."

"Yeah, I remember. What? Did you think I was gonna forget it?" he challenged.

Momo gave him a sweet smile soon followed by an even sweeter kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Hitsugaya-kun."

Toshiro blushed and hoped that Momo wouldn't notice. The two sat in companionable silence, getting a little too comfortable in the pleasant temperature. Momo drifted off first, her head nestled on Toshiro's shoulder. He shyly kissed her forehead before falling asleep, his head on top of hers and an arm wrapped protectively around her back.


	3. Chapter 3: Exonerate

**Chapter 3 - Exonerate**

_When the sun is high_

_Like a sudden wave _

_The flower may get caught in the heat_

* * *

"Oho, decided to go casual today taichou?"

Matsumoto rarely ever saw her taichou in anything else apart from his shinigami uniform. She dubbed him "doubly glompable" in his yukata.

Toshiro decided to ignore Matsumoto. After waking up he escorted Momo back to her division before shunpo-ing back to his own. He walked in to find a fresh stack of paperwork sitting on his desk and Matsumoto lounging around on the couch ignoring said paperwork.

When Matsumoto realised that Toshiro was going to ignore her, she followed annoyingly behind him.

"So taichou…did you have fun with Hinamori-chan today?"

Those words had just the effect Matsumoto wanted them to have. She could almost see her taichou's face getting redder and redder. There was nothing better than playing around with him…well not including sake of course.

"Nothing happened," he said curtly.

"Aww, don't be like that taichou! Seeing the two of you together was so kawaii that I even missed out on my afternoon sake to watch you!"

"Paperwork Matsumoto," he said before slamming his bedroom door in her face.

* * *

Time flew by and soon a month had passed. Leaves were beginning to change colours and fall from the branches, swept away by the wind before they could touch the ground. By this time Momo folded a total of 350 cranes. She might have been able to complete more but the amount of paperwork she was receiving was totally ridiculous.

_This is so much! _She thought as she read through and signed another form. _But Hitsugaya-kun must be getting a lot more. How does he manage to finish it all?!_

It was nearly midnight before she finally finished. She had been working non-stop since the morning. If this kept up she would never have time to see Hitsugaya-kun. Hopefully Yamamoto-sotaichou would lighten her load soon. Momo rubbed her eyes tiredly and organised any loose pieces of paper lying around her desk and floor. Without bothering to change, Momo headed towards her bed and instantly fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Waking up the next morning Momo was extremely relieved upon seeing the small stack of papers on her desk. She quickly rushed through them and made a mad dash towards the 10th division when finished. She came to a sudden halt in front of the office door and took the time to knock but went in without waiting for an answer.

A stressed Toshiro was sitting at his desk, his hand moving furiously across the paper. As usual he had been stuck with all the paperwork while Matsumoto went off getting drunk. Momo could hardly see him behind the many stacks of sheets. It might be a bit dangerous talking to him when he's like this but maybe she could help him de-stress.

"Good morning Hitsugaya er, um, taichou!" Momo said with as much enthusiasm and as little awkwardness as she could muster. She really wasn't used to calling her childhood friend 'Hitsugaya-taichou'. But hopefully that would cheer him up.

So engrossed in his work, Toshiro apparently didn't hear her properly and could only manage a "hnn". It wasn't even a sentence - or even a proper word for goodness sake! Momo couldn't blame him; after all it looked like he had stayed up all night in order to meet the deadline. Even so, lack of sleep and high stress levels cannot be good for anyone.

"Um, why don't you take a break for a minute? It's a nice day."

"No time."

"It'll only be for five minutes at mo-"

"HINAMORI!" Toshiro snapped and looked at Momo with angry eyes. "I have A LOT of paperwork and would APPRECIATE IT if you didn't bother me!!"

He looked back down without another word, sighing in frustration. Momo was trying not to let tears fall as she belatedly told herself that she should've known better.

"…sorry…"

Momo tried not to rush out Toshiro's office but as soon as she closed the doors behind her, she ran as fast as she could, tears blurring her vision. She didn't know how she made it back to her division without bumping into anybody; maybe she did but simply didn't notice. She didn't care about that now. Nothing was on her mind except his angry eyes. His angry eyes that were glaring _at her._

Locking her room door she pressed her back against it and slid down onto the ground, weeping into her knees that were pulled up to her chest. The last time she had cried like this was when she found out that her naiveness to the whole Aizen situation had gotten Toshiro badly injured.

_Toshiro must hate me now._

* * *

A moment after Momo had walked out of his office did it finally sink in.

_I…I can't believe…I yelled at Momo. I am such an idiot! All she was trying to do was make me feel better and I yelled at her! …She must hate me now._

The paperwork forgotten, Toshiro now had a bigger problem at hand. How was he going to apologise to Momo? He wasn't just going to say "sorry" to her. It seemed so empty and cliché. No, he was going to do something for her as well. But what? Glaring at the papers for what seemed like an eternity did an idea finally pop into his head. He immediately rushed out, sending papers and other whatnots flying all over.

Matsumoto narrowly avoided colliding into him when he suddenly burst through the doors. Indeed the boy genius rushed out so fast that if her reaction had even been a split second too late, she would be 2-D right now. She watched him dumbfounded before looking into the office. What a complete disaster! It looked like a tornado had blown through there.

_Well someone's gotta clean this up…Can't make me if you can't find me!_

With her hardened resolve Matsumoto made her way to the bar with the intention of hiding there for the rest of the day. Though she probably didn't give her plan much thought…

* * *

Knock Knock

Momo lifted her head up from her knees. She stopped crying a while ago but her eyes were still a little red and puffy. She didn't feel up to seeing anyone at the moment and so ignored the knock on her door.

Knock Knock!

The knocks were becoming more insistent.

_Don't answer. No one knows you're in here._

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Hey! I know you're in there Hinamori! Will you please open the door?"

The voice accompanying the knocks startled her. What could Toshiro possibly want? Momo dearly hoped he was not going to yell at her again as she slowly opened the door and timidly peered out.

"Hitsugaya-kun…did you…did you want anything?"

"Could I come in? Please?"

Momo hesitantly opened the door the rest of the way and stepped back. Toshiro entered and looked at Momo. She was staring down at the ground with her hands in front of her. Seeing this, Toshiro regretted yelling at her even more.

"I'm…sorry for yelling at you Momo," he said slowly.

Momo looked up at him. Two things surprised her: one, he was out and out apologising and two, he had called her by her first name for the first time. She could see him flush as he held up a hand with a peach in it.

"Will you forgive me? It's not much but…"

He broke off there and looked away, still holding up the peach. Momo couldn't help but smile. Not only did Toshiro not hate her but he actually came and apologised, and in such an adorable way too! She accepted the peach and engulfed him in a hug, surprising him.

"You didn't have to apologise Shiro-chan!" she laughed. "I was going to apologise to you!"

"W-Wha? What did you do?!"

"I knew you were stressed but I still bothered you. I'm sorry that I did."

"Baka, stop apologising"

They broke apart and Momo noticed a bag in his other hand .

"What's in the bag?"

Toshiro looked away and looked very flustered. "If you still wanted to…I thought I would take a break and spend some time with you…if you wanted," he mumbled.

Momo looked into the bag and saw a couple more of the fuzzy skinned fruit. She took his free hand and dragged him outside.

"Let's go Shiro-chan!"

"H-hey! Slow down Hinamori!"

Instead of going outside to sit on the grass, they sat down on one of the more secluded wooden walkways. They were leaning against the wall of a building eating the sweet peaches when the window above them opened and Matsumoto's head popped out. She looked down and saw Toshiro and Momo looking up at her. Toshiro slapped a hand to his head.

"I thought this place looked familiar."

"Taichou! Hinamori-chan! What a pleasant surprise seeing the two of you together! Ohhh, do I smell a date?" She winked suggestively at them.

The two younger shinigamis turned red and spluttered several incoherent words.

"Taichou's on a da-ate! Taichou's on a da-ate!" Matsumoto sang happily.

"Just for that Matsumoto you get to clean up the office and finish off the rest of the paperwork."

"How'd you know about that?!"


	4. Chapter 4: Winter Warmth

**Chapter 4 - Winter Warmth**

_As the cold draws nearer_

_So does the warmth_

_Like a summer snowfall_

_Like the winter sun_

* * *

"ACHOO!"

Momo rubbed a finger under her nose, trying to make the slight after-itch fade away. Toshiro made a slightly aggravated noise as he pulled off his captain's haori and draped it over her shoulders. The two were walking towards the festival grounds.

"Don't get sick before the Winter Festival even starts!" he said, mouth slightly hidden from the scarf around his neck.

Momo blushed but gave him a sweet smile. "I thought you didn't like festivals very much Hitsugaya-kun."

"It's Hitsugaya-_taichou_." He put a heavy strain on "taichou". Actually he didn't know why he kept correcting her. Probably a force of habit, but now that he thought about it, it would be weird - no - downright scary if she called him that on a daily basis. Besides, he kinda liked being called 'Hitsugaya-kun' and even 'Shiro-chan'. Of course, only if it came out of her mouth.

"Then you should call _me_ taichou. Hinamori-taichou of 10th division!"

"You should just be grateful that I let you wear that. I'll need that back soon."

"Yes, thank you Hitsugaya-kun. But I'm still wondering why you're going to the festival."

"Well someone's got to keep an eye on you so you don't go tripping everywhere. Why? Do you not want me to go hn?"

"No! It's nothing like that Shiro-chan!" Momo said frantically, waving her arms everywhere. "I wouldn't want to go with anyone else as much as I would want to go with you! You should know that!!"

Toshiro blushed slightly and didn't say anything, but Momo knew he was secretly smiling. They stopped in a half-secluded area a little ways off from the front gates leading to the festival grounds. The Winter Festival - it was an annual event to celebrate, as the name implies, the first day of winter. There's a festival for each of the seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter. All the shinigamis look forward to these festivals because they were just a day of fun - no work for the entire day.

"Sorry Hinamori but I'll need that back now." Toshiro gestured to his haori. "Can't have people thinking you're a taichou."

Momo playfully rolled her eyes at his last comment. "Don't worry Hitsugaya-kun. It's not that cold. Here you g-wah!"

When Momo stepped forward to give the haori back to Toshiro, she tripped and landed right into his arms. He stumbled back a bit but regained his balance a second later, his arms around her waist. Momo's head was buried in his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around his back, the result of reflexive instinct. Toshiro was too shocked to say anything. Momo blushed and tried to pull away but something was holding her back. Was it Toshiro's arms?…Or her own?

She tilted her head up and their eyes locked, sending them into a world of their own. Neither one of them took any notice that they were moving their head towards each other or that their eyes were starting to close. They could feel each other's breath tingling their skin, smell their scent mixing together, hear their heart beat as one. Their lips were so close…

"WHAT'RE SNOWY-CHAN AND PEACHY-CHAN DOING HUH?!"

Toshiro and Momo instantly broke apart, blushing like mad when Yachiru leaped out from behind the bushes. She jumped ontop of Toshiro's head and looked down at him, bending over so that her face was directly in front of his.

"You're all red Snowy-chan. You should have kissed Peachy-chan sooner y'know!"

The pink haired girl looked up. "Peachy-chan's red too!"

"No I'm not!"

Yachiru jumped off Toshiro's head. "Kenny's going to love t-CANDY!"

Her eyes were fixated on the bag Toshiro held out at arm's length. When she tried to grab it he moved it out of her way. After several more failed attempts Yachiru began to stomp on the ground.

"Gimme the candy! Yachiru wants candy!"

"Don't say a word and it's yours."

"Deal! Deal! Now gimme!!"

"Fine."

With all his might Toshiro threw the bag across the sky. Yachiru didn't waste one second. She sprinted after it without a complaint. Ever since last year's Summer Festival Toshiro learned the hard way that whenever he went to these festivals he should always have some candy in hand to bribe Yachiru with, just in case.

There was an awkward silence between them but thankfully Matsumoto showed up. "Hey! What are you two standing around here for? C'mon! To the festival!"

She grabbed both of them and made a beeline for the front gates. They stumbled along, trying to regain their footing. The three of them met up with Kira, Hisagi, Renji and Rukia. After a round of greetings they went off to enjoy the festivities. By the time they all sat down for lunch, Toshiro and Momo had forgotten all about their little incident.

"How did you manage to miss half of them Abarai?" Toshiro mocked, referring to the game they had just played which involved using simple kido to hit flying snowballs.

"Shut your trap you midget."

"Show some respect Abarai. It's Hitsugaya-taichou to you."

"Actually I'm surprised Renji even managed to hit one," Kira said not-so-thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you completely suck at kido!" laughed Hisagi.

"He's not as bad as…wait…nah, red head sucks," Matsumoto supplied.

Renji was quickly becoming red from anger and the ground was even beginning to tremble as more comments about his meagre kido skills were tossed around.

"ARGH!" He got up and slammed his fists on the table. "So what if I'm not some kido expert like Momo or the midget over here?!" He pointed his finger at the so called midget.

"Call me midget one more time and I'm entering you in the ice sculpture competition Abarai."

"Hey Hinamori-san." Rukia scooted closer to Momo so she could be heard over Renji and Toshiro's squabbling. "So, how many have you folded so far?"

"About 800. What about you?"

"I finished about a month ago." Rukia's face was etched with pride.

"Really?! So did your wish come true?"

"It's getting there." She glanced at Renji. "But it's really slow."

After lunch the group split up. Rukia dragged Renji off to the merchandise stalls, eying a rather large winter-theme Chappy plushie complete with mittens and everything. Matsumoto, Hisagi and Kira practically sprinted when they heard about some kind of sake related contest that was going to commence. Actually, all that registered in their minds was the word 'sake'. With nothing in particular to do, Toshiro and Momo wandered around the festival grounds. Somewhere along the way Momo's hand found its way into Toshiro's; they haven't let go since. The pair even passed by the contest the three fukutaichous took off to earlier. Matsumoto was still in but Hisagi and Kira were already passed out.

As the Winter Festival was coming to a close, Toshiro and Momo retreated to the roof of the 5th division, sharing a blanket and waiting for the fireworks to start. It was a cloudless night; a sea of stars was splattered across the skies and a sliver of the white moon among them.

"The stars are nice. They're twinkling like they're smiling down at us," Momo mused. "Do you like looking at them Hitsugaya-kun?"

Toshiro was silent for a moment, looking pensive. "They're nice to look at but it's painful looking at something so beautiful and not even being able to reach it, let alone hold it or cherish it."

She could hear a hint of loneliness in his voice; he sounded very solemn. Without a word she snuggled up against him, hoping to drive away those painful emotions. He placed an arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. The only thing the two felt at that time was comfort of being around each other. The fireworks started, lighting up the skies with a vibrant display of showering sparks. Many distant cheers could be heard.

"You know Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said sleepily, breaking the silence between them. She curled more so around Toshiro's body, taking in his warmth. "A star could come to you one day. It could look down and decide "I want to be held and cherished by him" and fall down from the sky hoping that you'll be the one to catch it."

She rubbed her eyes and laid down on his lap. "I hope you find your star Shiro-chan."

Toshiro looked down at her sleeping form and smiled.

"Baka Bed Wetter."

* * *

Sorry if this seems slow but things will pick up in the next chapter.

Thank you to reviewers and readers. There are only four more. If this goes well I will start posting multiple things on at once.


	5. Chapter 5: I'll Be Back

**Chapter 5 - I'll Be Back**

_Don't go where I can't reach you_

_Hold you_

_Protect you_

* * *

Momo ran intently to the 10th division with something black and shiny in her hands. She entered the office to see Toshiro finishing up what was presumably Matsumoto's paperwork. She bounded over to his side. He looked up with an inquiring face. "Yes?"

"Hitsugaya-kun," she sang. "Can you do me a favour?"

"What is it Hinamori?"

"Can you smile for me?"

"What?"

She hugged his arm. "C'mon Shiro-chan. Just smile at this."

She held up the black shiny thing in her other hand, which turned out to be one of those automatic cameras. Toshiro looked from the camera to Momo and back again.

"No. I hate photos."

"Please?"

His face was beginning to redden. "No."

"Just one!"

"No."

"C'mon!"

"No."

"Aw, Shiro-chan!"

"N-"

Momo kissed him on the cheek. He was silent for a moment, too shocked to think straight. Momo tried not to giggle.

"…Fine you bed wetter," he mumbled at last.

Momo smiled and held the camera at arm's length. She bent down and rested her head on his shoulder, smiling sincerely. Toshiro stole a glance at Momo and tilted his head a little towards her, smiling the smile reserved for her.

CLICK!

Momo grabbed the photo and held it with the back facing Toshiro so he wouldn't be able to see it. Her face lit up in delight.

"This is perfect. Thanks Hitsugaya-kun."

"Hey! Don't I even get to see it?!"

"You'll see it soon," she said vaguely and left with a flourish of her hand. As she closed the door she looked at the picture once more. She sighed contently and ran a finger over the glossy surface; it really was a perfect picture of them. "I better get started. There's only a week left until his birthday."

* * *

**The Next Day:**

"Hinamori! What did you do to yourself?!"

A worried Toshiro held up one of Momo's hands. There were little cuts here and there. He noticed that her other hand bore similar markings.

"Nothing Hitsugaya-kun!"

"This isn't nothing!" He scowled at her injured hand.

"Don't worry! They're just little cuts. I was…I was just a little clumsy around the paper, that's all."

"…Be more careful next time."

**The Next Day:**

"There's more of them!! I told you to be careful Hinamori! How did you manage to get more?!"

This time a few bandaids were covering Momo's hands and Toshiro could definitely tell there was an increase to the cuts.

"Sorry Hitsugaya-kun! I kept spacing out. Don't worry! They don't hurt at all."

"That's not the point!"

**The Next Day:**

"Ah, Hinamori?"

"Yes?"

"…Why exactly are you wearing gloves?" An eye was twitching.

"Eh, well, it's really, really cold today!"

Momo turned to walk away but Toshiro grabbed her hand and slipped the glove off. There were yet even more cuts and this time some of them looked pretty bad. There was a long, scabbed gash going down the length of her left index finger.

Toshiro just stared in shock, his face paling as Momo stood there sweatdropping, waiting for his reaction, which wasn't going to be pleasant.

**The Next Day:**

"That's it Hinamori! Even you can't possibly be THAT clumsy!!"

This time Momo only smiled. "Thank you for worrying Hitsugaya-kun but I'm finished now. It was worth all of these cuts."

"Finished with what?" He wondered what she could have possibly been doing for her to acquire such injuries.

"It's a surprise."

"Surprise or not I swear if you get one more cut on you I'm gonna go bankai on you!"

"You'll like it Shiro-chan," was all she said.

* * *

It was just past eleven-thirty at night when Momo received a summon from Yamamoto-sotaichou. She quickly made her way to the 1st division, wondering what could have happened for her to be summoned at such a late hour. She knocked on the door and entered when given permission.

"Yamamoto-sotaichou, you requested my presence?"

The elderly shinigami turned to face her. "Hinamori-fukutaichou, there have been recent signs of unusual hollow activity in Karakura Town. You have been assigned to patrol the area of Western Karakura Town. You are to leave in half an hour and return on midnight during the third day. Are we clear on the matter?"

"Yes Yamamoto-sotaichou."

"Very well. Prepare for you leave."

Momo bowed and exited the room. Three days? That meant she would get back just as Hitsugaya-kun's birthday was coming to an end. She was so looking forward to spending that special day with him. A couple of tears slid down her cheeks.

_It's not that big a deal. We can celebrate it when I get back._

Momo was in her room, looking around at what to bring. Her zanpakuto goes without saying but Momo thought she would bring a gigai and some gikongan just incase the unusual hollow activity ceased.

She was heading out to say farewell to Toshiro when she remembered his birthday present. She looked at the wrapped package and debated on whether or not to give it to him when she returned.

_I think I want Hitsugaya-kun to open it on his birthday._

She grabbed the package and headed over to the 10th division. Toshiro was about to climb into his bed when he heard a knock on his door. He was surprised to see Momo in her shinigami uniform and carrying her zanpakuto. She smiled and let herself in.

"Hinamori? Why are you carrying around your zanpakuto?"

"I was assigned to patrol Western Karakura Town," she paused before saying, ",for the next three days. I return at midnight."

"…Why go you have to go?"

"Yamamoto-sotaichou said there was some unusual hollow activity."

"WHAT?!" Toshiro cleared his throat and regained his composure. "I mean…your hands are injured. With that and your clumsiness how will you even be able to keep your zanpakuto in your hands?!"

"Are you worried about me?"

"…I'm not…worried…"

Momo hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "Thank you Shiro-chan." She broke apart from him. "But don't worry! I promise I'll come back. Right here at midnight. Oh and before I forget…here!"

She handed him the wrapped package. "It's your birthday present so don't open it until then okay? I'm counting on you!"

Toshiro stared at the package in his hands and then without warning, hugged Momo. "You better come back to me Momo," he whispered in her ear.

She returned the hug. "Don't worry Toshiro, I will."

With one last smile she headed out the door.

* * *

_There aren't even minor hollows! And I can't sense any within 5 ris._

Momo was sitting on the rooftops looking at the sky. It was the late afternoon of her first day and she did nothing but run around looking for nonexistent hollows. She figured that it would be quite safe for her to do a bit of real world roaming and so went into her gigai. Actually there was one thing she wanted to do here…

She walked to her destination, making sure to keep her senses sharp just incase. The homely sound of the bell echoed in her head when she opened the door to the local paper store. There were stacks upon stacks of paper arranged and organised neatly on shelves. Some of the more colourful and decorative sheets were put on display to try and tempt customers. The store itself was kind of old fashioned, and it was somewhat dim but those were the qualities that just added to the feeling.

Momo only needed to fold the last eight cranes and decided to stray from the legend a bit. She was going to choose the paper related to memories she had of Toshiro and not the other way around. Besides, she didn't want to ruin the keepsakes of their years together.

After a half hour of searching, Momo left the store with her purchases. Just eight more.

The sun was setting as Momo tied off the last chain, finally completing senbazuru. She looked at the chain with fond eyes; there were so many feelings and memories invoked.

A pale blue, snowflake patterned crane for the first time she met him.

A white crane splattered with pink sakura blossoms for the first time she made a promise to him.

A dark and light green striped crane represented the day when she first started to love him.

A colourful autumn print crane was the first time she lost him.

A black and white dragon print crane for when he first protected her.

A floral decorated yellow crane brought back memories of the first time he held her hand.

A peach patterned crane for the first time he said her given name.

And finally, a purple crane with frayed edges represented the day he first gave her a gift.

Momo attached a piece of light wood to the end of the chain. She wanted to write out her wish; to her, writing it out meant that it would never be forgotten, by her or the granter of the wish. She lowered her brush and was about to write when her zanpakuto interrupted her.

"_**Is this what you really want?"**_

The sudden voice of Tobiume startled Momo. _"Wha-what do you mean Tobiume?"_

_**"I'm asking you if you want love that is wished for. Do you really want that for yourself? And for him? Is he not dear to you?"**_

Tobiume left her with those words to ponder on. Momo slowly stowed away the brush and the chain in a small wooden box she brought along with her. She could only sit in contemplative silence as Tobiume's words echoed clearly in her mind.

_Do I want wished love?_

* * *

"Taichhhooou!" Matsumoto whined from her couch. "Stop pacing around. You're making me dizzy!"

"Matsumoto I am not pacing."

"Yes you are! Just look around!"

Toshiro stopped and realised that he had indeed been unconsciously pacing around the office; he was nowhere near his desk that he was originally sitting at. He sat back down and immediately started to tap his fingers impatiently on the desk, muttering outloud, unaware that there was someone in the room who could hear him.

"How could Yamamoto-sotaichou send her on a mission?! Didn't he even notice her hands- "

" Taichou…"

" -I mean yeah she's a fukutaichou and all but- "

"Taichou."

" -unusual hollow activity? Couldn't they be more clea-"

"TAICHOU!"

Toshiro snapped out of what he thought was a monologue in his mind. Matsumoto was in his face, glaring at him. She grabbed his shoulders and began shaking him.

"Listen Hitsugaya-taichou. Hinamori-chan is only going to be gone for three days! Three days!" She shook him even harder. "She can fight like nobody's business and is a master at kido! So stop worrying and Get. A. Grip! You hear me?!"

Toshiro could only manage a shaky nod after being handled like that.

She stood back and replaced her glare with a smirk. "So, can you tell me why you're so worried about Hinamori?"

"…what?"

"Why are you so worried about Hinamori?" Matsumoto repeated.

"Isn't it obvious? She's my friend!"

"Really now? _Just_ your friend?"

"…"

"You know taichou, if you don't tell her soon you might miss your chance."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "The whole Seireitei knows, except Hinamori. You may be a kid genius but you're really bad at the whole hiding-your-feelings thing you know?" She looked at him with sad but gentle eyes. "I know you think she'll never have the same feelings for you. But thinking like that, it's like she already rejected you; so now you're feeling the pain either way. So just hurry up and confess. How would you feel if you missed you chance because you were too afraid?"

There was a few seconds of silence.

"Wow! I never knew I was this good! I think a reward is in order!" Matsumoto headed for the door.

"Matsumoto," Toshiro said warningly.

"One more thing taichou. If you don't realise that Hinamori feels the same way about you when you open her present then you're beyond help. Au revoir!"

Instead of his usual angry reaction at her trotting off, Toshiro looked down at his hands.

_Have I already missed my chance?_


	6. Chapter 6: Broken Promises

**Chapter 6 - Broken Promises**

_I don't care what you think_

_I don't care what you say_

_You're not going to leave all this behind_

_I won't let you_

* * *

During Momo's second day there were a couple of weak hollows that appeared and although she disposed of them quite easily, her mind was endlessly distracted by her conversation with Tobiume. At the end of the day she stared gloomily at the waning sun. She stayed awake late into the night, until the full moon reached the top of its arc, signalling midnight.

_Happy birthday Shiro-chan._

Her third and final day went by like her second one. She was sitting on the rooftops yet again during sundown. She rested her head on her hand.

_Wished love…I wanted to wish for Hitsugaya-kun to love me. Is there something wrong with that?_

She gathered her thoughts and slowly but surely, she found her answer. It was rather hard admitting this newfound truth to herself.

_If that wish came true, then Hitsugaya-kun would love me…but it would be a one-sided love. If he didn't feel the same way then I would just be forcing pain upon him. And if he did feel the same way, I would just be disrespecting him by rushing him into things. Then I would lose his love…_

Silent tears began to fall.

_Hitsugaya-kun, I'm awful aren't I? You're the person who means the most to me and I almost made such a selfish wish. It doesn't matter whether or not you love me. But I do love you, please believe me. _

Momo got out her brush and wrote her wish on the piece of wood. When she looked at the words, she didn't feel any form of regret or sadness. Yes, this is what she truly wanted. She looked up at the stars.

_Thank you for being with me Toshiro. I love you._

* * *

Ever since Matsumoto told him Momo's gift would supposedly prove her feelings to him, Toshiro's mind was constantly on the neatly wrapped package. Even so, he didn't open it when he got up in the morning, nor for the rest of the day. Momo always had a habit of giving him his present during the night. She would make sure he got the day off and they would spend the day together or in some cases, she would send him on a wild goose chase so she would have time to plan a surprise just for him.

Toshiro sat down on the balcony, waiting for all the stars to appear. That's when he would open her present. The skies were cloudless and the stars that were already out shone beautifully. It was still snowing, piling up on the already knee deep layer. The trees looked like they were covered in icing sugar and the moonlight reflected off the frozen river. If only Momo was here with him to enjoy this wonderful sight.

_Momo comes back at midnight. I hope she's okay._

When it appeared that no more stars would come out of hiding, Toshiro took that as his cue to unwrap the gift. Out came a wooden photo frame with the picture she took of them. He could see why Momo loved the picture; they really did look perfect together. The picture aside, it was the frame that captured Toshiro's amazement. It wasn't your average blocky and plain wooden frame. Momo carved the wood into the likeness of a dragon. Its eyes were set with a pair of glimmering red rubies. It curved around the photo made to look like it was protecting it.

_This is why she had all those injuries? She did this just for me…_

Toshiro noticed some black lettering etched in and inked on the top part of the frame. It read:

_**We're Always Together**_

He ran his finger over the small letters. "Thank you Momo," he said because those words gave him the courage he needed to tell her those three special words.

_I love you._

* * *

"It's nearly midnight. I better open the gate."

As Momo was preparing her Hell Butterfly, she felt an ominous presence behind her. She quickly turned around…there was nothing. Suddenly she felt a searing pain on the left side of her body. She turned back around and came face to face with a hollow.

_What?! How?! I didn't even sense its reiatsu!_

The cut went from the base of her neck down in a diagonal, ending just below her waist. Even though it was a relatively shallow cut, the entire upper left section of her body was beginning to become numb, making it all but useless. Momo jumped upwards to avoid its next strike; its physical strength was pathetically weak so how did it manage to hide its spiritual pressure?

"Bakudo no ku!" Momo pointed her finger towards the hollow. "Geki!"

The glowing red light completely immobilised the hollow and Momo rushed at it wielding Tobiume. She effortlessly cut right through it but she felt a little unnerved as she watched the hollow fall down.

_I cut through it like it was a weak hollow. How can a hollow possibly hide presence like that and yet be so weak. It doesn't make an-_

"AHHHH!"

Momo's back exploded in pain, causing her to fall onto her knees. Blood was leaking steadily down and the slash began to burn intensely.

_I have to get back to Soul Society!_

Momo tried to get up but found her movements sluggish. Something like this cut shouldn't reduce her movements like this! It took a lot of effort to open the gate; she could feel her reiatsu quickly leaving her. After one step her legs failed to move properly. She began to tremble out of sheer panic.

_No! The hollow's claws must have had some kind of paralysing effect! Move! I have to get back! I promised Toshiro!_

One rigid step at a time, Momo walked through the gates. With every step she could feel not only her feet, but the rest of her body quickly succumb to paralysis. The cut on her back was agonising, growing worse by the second. She was just barely able to move as she exited out the other end. She threw off as much reiatsu as she could before falling down into the snow. Someone, anyone, was bound to notice.

A single tear fell onto the red dyed snow.

"Sorry…Shiro-chan…"

* * *

Toshiro drummed his fingers on the floor trying to suppress the anxiety he was feeling. Midnight had come and gone ten minutes ago so where was Momo? She was rarely ever late to anything. In fact she was usually early. She had promised him too.

_Calm down Toshiro. Maybe she ran into Yamamoto-sotaichou and he wanted a report. Yeah, that makes sense._

He felt her familiar reiatsu and began to relax but when it suddenly became so faint that he had trouble hanging onto it, his panic went into overdrive mode. He took off in a flash, trying to follow the weak trail. He was searching on the rooftops when he spotted a dot of red in the sea of white. He headed there only to find Momo lying face down in the snow that was tinted red from her blood.

"Hinamori!!"

He turned her over and picked her up. He didn't care that blood was quickly getting all over him. Her body was extremely cold and all of her limbs looked stiff. Her eyes were glazed over; they looked devoid of any life. With shunpo that could give Yoruichi a run for her money, Toshiro headed for the 4th division. He crashed into the building, his reiatsu flying about dangerously, frightening a young shinigami.

"Get me Unohana-taichou now!" he yelled at the gibbering wreak on the floor.

"No need. I am here."

Retsu Unohana quickly made her way towards Toshiro. One look at Momo and her face became serious. "Isane, please take Hinamori-fukutaichou to the 4th medic room."

"Yes Unohana-taichou."

She gently pried Momo away from Toshiro's arms and headed off, shouting commands at some of the other shinigamis. Unohana turned to follow.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, I will inform you when we have finished treating Hinamori-fukutaichou. For now I must insist that you clean yourself up."

Toshiro couldn't even remember when he changed out of his blood soaked uniform. He stood against the wall, head down, fists clenched. The vision of Momo lying in a pool of her blood flashed in his mind. Twice he had seen her blood spilling around her and twice he was unable to protect her. "Hinamori…"

He looked up at the clatter of the door and saw Unohana walking his way. He briskly walked up to her. "How is she?!"

"It is uncertain at the moment. We will have to wait and see. I am very sorry."


	7. Chapter 7: Catch Me

**Chapter 7 - Catch Me**

_In the darkness_

_Be my light_

_When you find me_

_Hold me tight _

* * *

Momo was all but still for the past four days so far. The only movement was her chest going up and down and even that was barely noticeable. She didn't make a single sound, no facial expressions, nothing. Toshiro spent as much time as he could next to her, willing her to wake up. He would even fall asleep on the edge of the bed holding her hand if he wasn't forced out. It pained him to see her pallor face.

"_**You know taichou, if you don't tell her soon you might miss your chance."**_

"_**Don't call me that Bed Wetter Momo."**_

"_**It was worth all of these cuts."**_

"_**I hope you find your star Shiro-chan."**_

"_**You better come back to me Momo."**_

"_**Don't worry Toshiro, I will."**_

"_**I promise I'll come back!"**_

"_**Ne, Shiro-chan!"**_

"Hinamori!"

Toshiro woke up from the swirling images of her smiling face, nothing like the one he saw now. He gave her one last look before getting up. His hand was on the doorknob when a voice startled him.

"…Shiro…chan…?"

He slowly turned around, hoping this wasn't another cruel dream. Momo's dampened eyes were half opened and her head was tilted in his direction. Toshiro quickly ran to her side.

"Hinamori?" he asked, unable to believe what he was seeing. She gave him a weak smile.

"Sorry…I didn't keep my promise…" Even saying those few words sounded like they were taxing her.

"Baka, don't talk. You've been unconscious for four days now."

Momo's breathing was heavy and it took several minutes for her to get out her next sentence.

"Shiro-chan…"

"Hinamori," Toshiro said warningly

"Please…please Shiro-chan…"

He merely nodded, a sign for her to continue.

"Did you…find…my box?"

Toshiro picked up the small wooden box that was sitting on the night table. Isane had found it in Momo's uniform. "You mean this one?" He held it infront of her eyes.

Momo's eyes were starting to close and her voice became even quieter. "Mhm…I want…Shiro-chan…to open it…"

Slowly, Toshiro undid the brass lock and opened the lid. Sitting in the midst of brown satin fabric was a small chain of paper cranes. He picked it up and read the writing on the wood dangling on the bottom.

_**I Wish for Toshiro's Happiness**_

"…Hinamori…?"

She slowly raised a shaking hand up and Toshiro instantly placed it in his own. She stared into his face and managed another smile. "…Don't be sad Shiro-chan…"

Her eyes closed and her hand became limp. Toshiro took a sharp intake of breath and began to shake her body.

"Wake up! Hinamori! Wake up!"

After several moments he stopped shaking her body as his was beginning to tremble. He gripped her hand even harder. Several tears fell and his voice was thick with emotion.

"Don't you realise that you make me happy Momo?"

* * *

"Where…am I?"

Momo looked around her. There was nothing but darkness surrounding her. She wrapped her hands around her body. It was so cold and the air felt so desolate.

"I don't like it here. It's so cold…and lonely. I don't want to be here!"

As if heeding her request, she saw a pinpoint of light appear in the distance. She ran towards it, trying to get out of the darkness. As the distance closed between her and the light, the atmosphere became warmer. But with every step she could feel more tears falling. It was futile to try and wipe them all away; they just kept coming in never ending streams.

_Why? Why am I crying? Why do I feel like I'm leaving something important behind?_

"…m…"

Momo stopped in her tracks. She swore she heard something back in the darkness. But why would some voice even make her think of going back to that cold and lonely place? She heard the voice again, louder.

"…mo…mo…"

_Someone's calling me. Someone familiar?_

"…Momo…"

She took a step back into the darkness. She could feel a drastic change in the temperature but for some reason that voice was warmer than any place here.

"Momo."

She began to walk faster and faster back into the darkness where the voice was coming from. A name was on the tip of her tongue. She didn't know who it was yet but she didn't want to leave that person. If she did then two hearts would break.

"…shiro…"

"Momo."

"Toshiro?!"

Momo was full out running now, desperately trying to follow his voice. "Toshiro? Toshiro?! Where are you?!"

"Please come back Momo."

"Toshi-Ahhh!"

An enormous tremor had come out of nowhere. Large cracks appeared on the ground, forcing Momo to stop and try to stay standing. The ground gave in and Momo began to fall into a dark abyss. She stretched her arm up. "TOSHIRO!!"

She felt a hand latch onto hers, keeping her from falling down. She looked up and saw a blurry outline of a person.

"Don't leave me alone Momo."

"Toshiro?"

The person's blurry outline faded away and was replaced with Toshiro. He looked down at her. "Please come back."

Momo smiled. "Sure Shiro-chan."

* * *

Toshiro was looking at her still body with downcast eyes. He ran out of words, his mind was numb. Was there nothing he could say to bring her back?

Suddenly he felt her hand weakly grip his. Momo's breathing and pulse were coming back as she opened her eyes. It may have been weak but they were sparkling again and she smiled up at him.

"Toshiro."

Toshiro looked at her in shock; he could hardly find his voice. "Momo…?"

Momo slowly sat up and used her free hand to touch his face. "Sorry for leaving you."

Something in Toshiro's mind clicked. Momo was back, and she was back for good. He pulled her into a hug, forgetting to be careful around her wound. Nothing mattered now that she was back.

"Don't ever do that again you baka."

Momo gently wrapped her arms around him and began to softly cry. She didn't know why she started to cry. Maybe out of relief? But she did know one thing -- that Toshiro was there for her to cry on, and that was all she needed at that moment. They stayed in each other's embrace for what seemed like an eternity because after having almost lost each other, both of them cherished the other's touch that much more.

_Thank you for choosing me Momo._

_Thank you for catching me Toshiro_

* * *

I feel I have to make it clear that this is NOT the last chapter! They still have to confess their love!


	8. Chapter 8: Senbazuru

**Chapter 8 - Senbazuru**

_There is but One person for me -__ Stay with me underneath the Heavens, forever In the sky's Reflection -__ because Only you can_

_Make me a single promise -__ let us become One and shine like the Million stars in the midnight skies -__ because Only you can_

* * *

Momo was discharged from the 4th division two days after she had woken up, but Unohana advised her to take it easy for a couple of days. Her body was still a little frail. She was exempted from all her paperwork so she spent her days in Toshiro's office. He was not very good at hiding his worry for her.

It was New Years Eve and Momo was sitting on the roof wrapped in a blanket large enough for two, waiting for the fireworks to start.

"Hey, aren't you still recovering? You shouldn't be out here yet."

Momo smiled back at Toshiro. "I'm alright but you're early Shiro-chan."

"That's because you shouldn't worry me like that by taking off without a word!"

"Whoops. I thought I forgot to do something!"

"Baka."

Toshiro sat down next to Momo and accepted the spot she made for him under the blanket. While Momo was engrossed with the night sky, Toshiro glanced at the small box cradled in his hand that was hidden from her eyes. At the stroke of midnight he would confess his love to her.

There was an hour left and Toshiro thought time was against him because soon it was a minute before midnight. He was beginning to feel incredibly nervous, but over and over he reminded himself that if he put this off, he might never get another chance. And he learnt this lesson the hard and painful way.

With ten seconds left until the New Year many shinigamis could be heard all across the Seireitei.

**10**

Matsumoto, Kira and Hisagi were at the New Years party at 3rd company yelling at the top of their lungs, having already consumed almost half of the 20 sake bottles in the room. Iba was already passed out in the corner.

**9**

Shunsui was trying to sneak out to the aforementioned party whilst Nanao was seemingly preoccupied with the countdown. He barely made it a quarter of the way across the room when a heavy book landed on his head.

**8**

Yachiru was zipping around the Seireitei on a sugar rush, shouting numbers like "eleventy-seven". Kenpachi was just sitting there, lazily counting down as he ignored the chaos his fukutaichou was creating.

**7**

Jushiro was humming to himself as he tried to find Toshiro so that he could shower his younger self with New Year sweets.

**6**

Sentaro and Kiyone were dedicatedly following their taichou, trying to outdo the other in the countdown. Many would be temporarily deaf for the next few days.

**5**

Renji and Rukia were sitting outside the 6th division building holding hands. Rukia was cheerfully counting down and Renji just thought it was stupid.

**4**

Byakuya was fingering his zanpakuto as he spied on the pair from the shadows.

**3**

Ikkaku was swinging his sword and whistling a tune, waiting for the fireworks to start. Yumichika was on the floor, bruised and slightly bloody because he tried to wax Ikkaku's head. He claimed he lost his mirror.

**2**

Momo was staring up into the skies, her mouth opened in anticipation. And Toshiro…

**1**

Toshiro was ready to tell her.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

There were many cheers as the fireworks appeared in the sky. The parties that were taking place instantly went up to full blast. Sake was being consumed like water; tomorrow was going to be a painful day for 4th division.

Toshiro nudged Momo. "Hey."

He fumbled around with the box before giving it to her without a word or meeting her eyes. She graciously accepted it and found a small, sparkling ice crane inside. He used his powers to make it just for her. She tackled him with a hug.

"Thank you so much Shiro-chan. It's beautiful."

It was now or never.

"Momo."

"Shiro-chan? Is something wrong?"

"There's…something…something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

He hesitated for a moment before leaning in and kissing her on the lips. It was a shy kiss, but it was filled with unconditional love. He was blushing as he pulled away.

"I-I love you Momo."

If Toshiro was worried there was going to be an awkward silence, his fears were allayed. Momo responded by giving him a loving kiss of her own. It was short but only because Momo had something to say.

"I love you too Toshiro."

Toshiro smiled and put his forehead against hers. "And you wouldn't want me to be unhappy, so don't you ever dare leave me again you hear?"

"Don't worry Toshiro." She laced her fingers with his. "I'm not going to go anywhere without you. We're always together right?"

"Right." He buried his head in her hair. "I guess you got your wish Momo."

"And you said you didn't believe in wishes."

"Hhnn." He smiled. "I never said that now did I?"

Momo didn't answer for she was entirely too busy kissing him.

----------

They say senbazuru is truly a labour of love; a thousand cranes for each of the thousand years they are said to live for. During those one thousand years they loyally stay with their soul mate, their other half. And as they soar through the skies they carry peace and happiness with them, spreading it across the world.

But maybe it's not all true. Maybe they live for a thousand and one years.

**Owari**

* * *

Thank you to my reviewers and to all readers who saw this story to the end. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much! Please take a moment to review this chapter as well.

I also have more stories that will be posted up too:

**Drunken Laps: **Takes place during the Winter Festival. We get to see just how Matsumoto, Kira and Hisagi fared in the competition they entered (along with some others). Four chapters long

**Birthday Lights:** A one-shot featuring Toshiro and Momo. Takes place a year before the Senbazuru storyline. The story of how Toshiro got his yukata (the same one all the way back in chapter 2).

**9 Moments:** The story featuring the memories tagged along with Momo's nine special cranes. Ten chapters long.

And this is just for fun but did any of you notice something special in this chapter's tagline? Tell me if you know or want to know. It's simple really.


End file.
